10 Pregnancy Superstitions That Are Old Wives' Tales

Ye olde tale would have us believe that women who experience extreme nausea are carrying a babe of the sugar-and-spice variety [source: Saltiel]. With my first pregnancy, I was a tiny bit nauseated. Boy No.1 was born. With my second child, the sickness ramped up significantly for the first trimester. Boy No. 2 came some time later, to the great surprise of the women all around me. My third pregnancy was trademarked by nearly nine months of hideous nausea, throughout which I was besieged by well-meaning people who exclaimed over the certainty of an impending daughter. Kenny was born in all his male glory, and we haven't looked back since.

For everyone who shares a similar story, there's someone who vehemently believes the opposite, which is all part of the fun. Interestingly, some research has indicated that a severe version of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum is more commonly experienced by mothers carrying girls, but it is still very possible to have serious nausea while expecting a boy [source: Watson]. For the record, hyperemesis gravidarum is the same condition that the Duchess of Cambridge was hospitalized for during her first pregnancy, and she subsequently gave birth to the future King of England [source: Campbell].